Dark Souls Remastered Guide#
“Ash seeketh embers.”
Welcome to Lordran. Dark Souls is more than a game — it is a landmark of the action RPG. FromSoftware combined intricate level design, deep fragmented storytelling, and tense, demanding combat into a dark fantasy world countless players have fallen in love with. The Remastered version keeps the original’s essence while improving visuals and the online experience. Whether you are a series veteran or coming in fresh, this game delivers challenge and satisfaction like nothing else.
This hub carries over the full content of the Chinese guide: core data, newcomer preparation and FAQ, mechanics and difficulty tables, remaster notes, plus deep-dive sections on the opening routes, poise and parries, spells, and New Game+ rules.
Game Overview#
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Dark Souls Remastered |
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Release date | May 24, 2018 (Remastered) |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Engine | Optimized version of the original engine |
| Length | 30-50 hours for the main story |
| Difficulty | Extremely high |
| Media score | 89/100 |
| Series | First entry in the Dark Souls series |
Why You Should Play Dark Souls#
Dark Souls is not just a game — it is a milestone of the action RPG genre. With precise level design, deep fragmented storytelling, and a tense, rewarding combat system, FromSoftware built a dark fantasy world that draws players in completely. The Remastered version preserves the original’s essence while upgrading the visuals and the online experience. Whether you are a longtime souls player or a first-timer, this game will give you challenge and satisfaction in equal, enormous measure.
Game Highlights#
| Highlight | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hardcore difficulty | Harsh penalties, yet fair and surmountable |
| Fragmented storytelling | Item descriptions and environments tell a deep story |
| Intricate levels | An interconnected world where every route loops into another |
| Varied builds | Strength, dexterity, sorcery, faith, and more playstyles |
| Online play | Messages, summons, and invasions weave players together asynchronously |
| Classic art direction | Gothic style fused with dark fantasy |
Before You Start#
Getting into Dark Souls takes some mental preparation. Early resources are scarce and enemies hit hard, so frustration comes easily. A few points will carry you smoothly through the opening:
- Start as the Knight or Warrior class — their stats are balanced
- Raise Vitality (VIT) first to secure your survivability
- Learn the timing of parries and rolls — that is the core of combat
- Explore the maps thoroughly; many valuable items are hidden in corners
- Do not fear death — every death is a chance to learn
Master these basics and you will gradually come to feel this game’s one-of-a-kind appeal.
New Player FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Dark Souls hard? | Yes — it is demanding, but manageable with practice and by understanding the mechanics |
| Which class should I choose? | Knight or Warrior for beginners — balanced and practical |
| Can I play online? | Yes — asynchronous online: messages, co-op summons, and invasions |
| Is the DLC worth it? | Absolutely — the DLC contains the series’ best bosses and weapons |
| What happens when I die? | You lose all your Souls and must return to the spot where you fell to retrieve them |
| Is there a difficulty setting? | No — there is only one difficulty |
Core Mechanics at a Glance#
| Mechanic | How it works |
|---|---|
| Souls | The main currency and experience; dropped where you die and recoverable once |
| HP | Hit points; at zero, you die |
| Stamina | Spent on attacks and dodges |
| Estus Flask | The primary healing item |
| Bonfire | Checkpoint and recovery point |
| Dark Sign | The mark that brands you Undead |
| Humanity | Affects world state and NPC dialogue |
| Equip burden | Controls roll speed and distance |
Difficulty Analysis#
Dark Souls is widely considered one of the hardest games of the modern era. But difficulty does not mean insurmountable — with the right strategy and enough practice, anyone can finish it.
Difficulty Curve#
| Area | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Undead Asylum | ★☆☆☆☆ | Tutorial, very easy |
| Undead Burg | ★★☆☆☆ | First real challenge, learn the basics |
| Undead Parish | ★★★☆☆ | Moderate, tougher boss |
| The Catacombs | ★★★☆☆ | Moderate, trap-heavy |
| Darkroot Garden | ★★★★☆ | Hard, many enemy types |
| Blighttown | ★★★★★ | Brutal, hostile environment |
| Sen’s Fortress | ★★★★☆ | Hard, dense mechanisms |
| Duke’s Archives | ★★★★☆ | Hard, powerful enemies |
| The Abyss | ★★★★★ | Final area, extremely hard |
Editions and the Remaster#
Dark Souls first released in 2011, with the Remastered version following in 2018. The remaster preserves the original’s essence while improving the visuals and holding a stable framerate, fixing a large number of the original’s performance problems. It also includes all of the DLC content — Artorias of the Abyss — which makes it the best entry point for newcomers.
Platform differences: content is identical across platforms; PC supports mods, and the community has produced a large body of quality improvement mods. Pick whichever platform suits your habits.
Edition contents: the remaster includes the DLC’s three areas plus all weapons, sorceries, and miracles. The “Artorias of the Abyss” DLC is widely regarded as among the series’ best content, and its boss fights are considered classics. Buying the remaster gets you all DLC with no extra purchase.
How to Use This Guide#
| Stage | Recommended reading |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Starting guide → walkthrough → combat system |
| Mid-game | World map → boss guides → weapon compendium |
| Late game | Build recommendations → endgame content → achievements |
| Deep exploration | Story → world lore → secrets → NPC side quests |
About This Guide#
This guide is written to serve players of every background, covering everything from first steps to the final challenge. Every section contains detailed data tables, hands-on experience, and deep analysis. Our goal is the most complete, most practical Dark Souls Remastered guide available.
Version Notes#
This guide was written against Dark Souls Remastered version 1.03. Some information may change with game updates — the running game is the final authority.
Acknowledgements#
Thanks to FromSoftware for making this masterpiece, and to every player and guide author who has contributed to the Dark Souls community.
Thank you for choosing this guide. May your journey through Lordran go smoothly — may the flame guide thee.
Starting Out: Survival Rules from the Northern Undead Asylum to Firelink Shrine#
| Stage | Core goal | Key actions | Common mistakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Undead Asylum | Learn basic controls and roll rhythm | Take the broken sword without lingering, run straight for the fog gate; grab the Elite Knight Set first | Brawling the demon with the broken sword and wasting early souls |
| Reaching Firelink Shrine | Unlock fast travel and NPC interaction | Talk to the Fire Keeper to reinforce the Estus Flask; buy the Repairbox from blacksmith Andre | Ignoring Kingseeker Frampt’s dialogue and missing his later item-storage service |
| First Undead Burg run | Build the “shield up, backstab” habit | Clear shield skeletons first, use backstabs on the archers before the Taurus Demon | Squaring off against the red dragon on the narrow bridge and getting roasted instantly |
Starting gear priority (in pickup order)
- Elite Knight Set (side door left of the demon’s boss room): far better defense than the starting rags
- Firebombs (Undead Burg merchant): surprisingly effective against the Bell Gargoyles’ second phase
- Purple Moss Clump ×5 (merchant in the Burg’s lower section): clears poison and other ailments, saving Estus charges
Estus Flask reinforcement route (early)
- First reinforcement: return to Firelink Shrine and have the Fire Keeper consume a Fire Keeper Soul, raising the flask’s charge count to 5.
- One caution: do not spend early souls on key-type items other than the Master Key — some keys can be obtained for free later in the game.
Advanced Combat Mechanics: Poise, Backstabs, and Parries#
| Mechanic | Numbers and judgment | Practical use | Counterplay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poise | With heavy-armor poise at 40 or above, light weapon hits do not interrupt your animation | Tank through the arrow rain of the Anor Londo archers in Havel’s Set and charge straight up the stairs | Against you: greatswords and great hammers whose single hits exceed 50 poise damage |
| Backstab | Must be right behind the enemy and locked on; press light attack | Before the Dark Sun Gwyndolin fight, clear the Silver Knights first, then backstab them one by one | If an enemy turns very fast (such as the dragon-slayer knights), switch to parry + riposte |
| Parry window | Roughly the first 0.2 seconds after the shield comes up; a successful parry triggers a stagger | Against Knight Artorias’ first phase, a parry into a riposte deals double damage | Against multi-hit attackers (dual-wielding curved blades) do not chain parries — side-roll the second hit |
Lethal traps and terrain play
- Blighttown’s swamp: equip the Rusted Iron Ring beforehand so movement speed is unaffected; the Firestorm pyromancy clears the poison wasps in a wide sweep
- Sen’s Fortress boulder corridor: watch the boulders’ rolling interval and hug the right wall; drop an Alluring Skull before the second boulder to bait enemies and create an opening
- The Anor Londo archers’ staircase: do not rush the platform — snipe the left Silver Knight from mid-stairs with the Dragonslayer Greatbow, then the right; if the arrow rain pins you, fall back to the corner below and wait it out
Sorceries and Pyromancies by Build#
| Build | Recommended spell | Where to get it | Slots | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure melee support | Flash Sweat (pyromancy) | Merchant at the bottom of Blighttown | 1 | Fire resistance spikes for the Chaos Witch Quelaag fight |
| Dexterity main | Great Soul Arrow | Buy after rescuing the sorcerer in the Undead Burg’s lower section | 1 | Stable damage, fast casting, good for ranged poke into a backstab |
| Faith warrior | Lightning Spear | Offer 10 Sunlight Medals at the Sunlight Altar | 2 | Bonus against the Anor Londo duo, but a long cast animation — cancel with a roll |
| All-round pick | Great Chaos Fireball | Ascended from Chaos Witch Quelaag’s boss soul | 2 | Extremely high damage with blast radius, but requires the Pyromancy Flame upgraded to +15 |
Reinforcement material shortcuts (no-farm route)
- Large Ember: in a chest at the bottom of Darkroot Garden — pushes weapons to +10 with no need to farm Titanite Chunks
- Very Large Ember: after defeating the dragon-slayer knight in Anor Londo, inside a hidden wall below the stairs — pushes weapons to +15
- Crystal Ember: in the Duke’s Archives prison block, dropped by the Crystal Golem — used for crystal weapons (suits high-INT builds)
Hidden Elements and NG+ Rules#
| Hidden element | Trigger | Reward | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Way of White covenant | Talk to the covenant maiden in the Undead Parish | A talisman plus the Heal miracle | If she is killed in the Catacombs, the covenant is lost for good |
| NG+ inheritance | Choose “continue to a new playthrough” after clearing the game | Keeps your level, equipment, spells, and Estus reinforcement level | All key-type items reset, and you must re-obtain the Lordvessel to open the final boss’s door |
NG+ difficulty scaling at a glance
- Second playthrough: enemy HP +30% and attack +20%, but soul drops +50%
- Third playthrough: enemy poise +15%, and some bosses gain new combo moves (Gwyn adds a sweeping slash)
- Fourth playthrough and beyond: enemy attack is fixed at +40%, while player defense no longer grows
“Don’t give up, skeleton!” — a passerby’s message
Related Games#
- Dark Souls III — the trilogy’s finale, with some of FromSoftware’s finest boss fights
- Demon’s Souls — the progenitor that established the soulslike formula
- The First Berserker: Khazan — a Korean hardcore action RPG in the soulslike mold
- Elden Ring — the open-world peak of the soulslike action RPG
- Sekiro — Sengoku-era action adventure with a one-of-a-kind deflection combat system
Related Rankings#
Best Soulslike Games · Hardest Bosses · Best RPGs
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics and opening routes, the chapter-by-chapter walkthrough, the world map with shortcuts and bonfire locations, combat mechanics, boss strategies, the weapon compendium, item and ring collection, NPC side quests, the enemy compendium, secrets and hidden areas, achievements, endings, story and lore, farming tips, builds, endgame content, and the reinforcement and forging systems — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s Dark Souls section.